


A Long Time Coming

by AngoMcDango



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Blood, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Grieving, M/M, Nightmares, Pining, Young Love, magvi, more when more is written
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-16 13:03:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9273014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngoMcDango/pseuds/AngoMcDango
Summary: Avi said he would never forget Magnus, and Magnus agreed. But when a giant squid takes away everyone's memory of you, it's hard to forget what was already promised.





	1. Departure

**Author's Note:**

> this is gonna be like... 10 chapters? maybe less. this fic actually has planning and ideas for it lol. 
> 
> concept: Avi grew up in Raven's Roost w Magnus but left at an early age. The rest of canon goes on.

“You’re leaving Raven’s Roost?” The look of hurt in fifteen year old Magnus’ face was too much for Avi, shown by the way he shied his body away. 

 

“It’s… my parents are worried about Governor Callen. They don’t think he’s safe.” Avi fidgeted with his hands, looking anywhere but at Magnus. “They heard he’s becoming more out of control.”

 

Magnus furrowed his brow, a hand coming up and scratching at his stubble. “Well… wh-when are you leaving?”

 

“Tomorrow.” 

 

“WHAT!? You're only telling me this now?” Magnus crossed his arms, staring directly at Avi while a duo of tears ran down his face

 

“I didn't want you to- ah see, this is exactly what I didn't want to happen.” Avi stepped closer to the other boy, cupping his cheek with his hand as he wiped away the tear. Magnus looked at him with a flushed face, his stomach doing flips from the lightest of touches. Avi was blushing too, and buried his face in Magnus’ neck as he enveloped him in a hug.

 

Magnus freezes in place, his mind unable to process this level of affection from his best friend. He grabs at Avi’s hips, hands shaking, and presses their foreheads together.

 

“Avi, can I tell you something?”

 

“Anything, Maggie.” Avi is looking right at him now, licking his lips, the tips of their noses practically touching as Magnus finds the words to say to the smaller man.

 

“I’m… I… I like you Avi. I like having you here. With me.”

 

Avi tenses up, his heart racing at Magnus’ confession. “But just as friends, right?”

 

“Right. Just friends.” Magnus swallows hard, the sunset behind Avi framing his hair in a perfect light. He swallows down the pain, and pulls Avi back into a bigger hug. Avi’s hold is lighter this time, and Magnus can feel a wet spot of tears on his shoulder. They pull away from each other, Magnus still grabbing onto Avi’s fingers.

 

“I’ll see you again, Mags. The world isn’t that big.” Avi cracks a toothy smile, and gives Magnus’ hand a warm squeeze before walking away.

 

“Goodbye.” Magnus presses his hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating erratically.  _ I think I really really really like you _ still balancing on the tip of his tongue. He pushes down those feelings, and heads back inside the shop.

 

“Was that Avi?” A booming husky voice calls out through the sawdust. “Heard he and his folks are getting out of town.” A large man walks into the front room, and places a hand on Magnus’ shoulder. 

 

“Yeah… I’m really gonna miss him, Steven.” Magnus sniffles again, and leans against his mentor’s shoulders. Steven slides in for a hug at the last second, embracing Magnus for only the second time in his short apprenticeship. Magnus gasps in the smells of sandalwood & steel and grips Steven back, barely able to wrap his arms around the much more muscular figure. He shudders out a cry, and Steven pats him on the back warmingly.

 

“Hey kiddo, I’m not going anywhere any time soon. You’ve got me, and my daughter Julia is coming to live with us for a while too! She’s ‘round your age, sure you two will get along swimmingly.” He smiles, and rustles a hand through Magnus’ hair. “Why don’t you head into the kitchen, get started on dinner.”

 

“Yeah, can do.” Magnus sniffs and pulls away from Steven, nodding at him briskly before rushing into the back room.

  
“Nothin’ better than young love…” Steven chuckles to himself, following Magnus in.


	2. Trinkets in your memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus attempts to move on.

Sure, they had hugged before, they've known each other since birth practically. But thinking back to the tender way Avi placed his hands on Magnus’ back had him thinking to every time Avi suggested they hold hands, or cuddle next to each other for warmth, or how Avi’s head would somehow always nod off to sleep on Magnus’ shoulder. 

 

Magnus was staring at the ceiling of his room, feeling tears leak down his face yet not doing anything about it. Avi made him… made him feel the way he did like when Steven congratulated him on a new piece of work. The way he felt when the sunrise came up and could smell coffee brewing, ready for a new day. The way Avi looked at Magnus the same way he looked at new trinkets he made. Something about that look made Magnus burn up inside, his heart clench, and his toes curl. Everything about Avi felt like… felt like home.

 

But he left. He left Magnus behind, and didn’t even tell him until the very last minute. Magnus curled into himself, hands gripping at his pillowcase. He and Avi had had sleepovers here so many times that Avi left a pillow beside his own. Magnus rolled onto it, the cloth having absorbed the smell of his hair, of mint and honey. Avi smelled just like warm tea, and Magnus’ heart lurched in his chest again.

 

Maybe it’s better this way. Maybe Avi never really cared about Magnus. Maybe he was just playing along every time the women in the market would coo over them being ‘already so in love for their age’ and he’d nod and smile, grabbing Magnus’ hand a little too tight each time. Maybe he was just entertaining Magnus when he had cautiously suggested practicing kissing for girls and had nodded a little too quickly, a little too hard.

 

None of that mattered anymore. Magnus sat up in his bed, still hugging Avi’s pillow before angrily throwing it on the ground. A  _ thud  _ was heard, something heavy from inside the pillowcase falling out and onto the floor. 

 

“What the…” Magnus crouches down to pick up what looked like just a small, dark, wooden box. Roughly the size of the palm of his hand, he recognizes Steven’s careful sanding work around the edges. He pops open the simple brass clasp, tears prickling in his eyes as he carefully pulls out the small mechanized dog figurine. A small scroll is underneath it, Magnus’ hands trembling as he reads the words, carefully written in a dark, dark ink:

 

_ I’ll never forget you, Magnus. _

 

Magnus chokes out a sob, and cradles the small dog. It’s made of brass like the clasp used to contain it, and is barely the size of his thumb. Granted, Magnus was a bigger boy than other boys his age, but it was such a delicate creation that he hardly breathed out, worried he would somehow break the fine mechanics. 

 

He stayed sat on his dusty floor for a long time, carefully thumbing over the tiny dog. He hears a knock at his door and panics, whipping his head around to hide the figurine somewhere in his room.

 

_ Knock knock.  _ “Magnus? You’re late for work!” Steven’s voice is groggy this early in the morning, and Magnus can hear in his voice he just got out of bed as well.

 

“C-Coming! Sorry Steven!” Magnus bumbles around, his arms jutted out holding this small dog until he decides to just put it back in the box it came in. Tucking the box back under his own pillow, he throws on a beige canvas shirt and swings the door open to meet his mentor. 

 

“Mornin’ Magnus!” If Steven noticed how swollen and red Magnus’ eyes were, he didn’t say anything as he swung an arm around his shoulder. “Ready to fix chairs for the entire city council today?”

 

“It’s like people don’t know you’re NOT supposed to jump on top of chairs! Stupid ball…” Magnus bemoans, walking into the kitchen and grabbing himself four large eggs and a few slabs of bacon. “Why can’t they… Hello?”

 

Magnus’ sentence is cut short by the realization of a stout, dark-skinned girl sitting where Magnus usually sits. She’s combing through the curls in her hair, and beams up at Magnus.

 

“Hey! Mind throwing on some more bacon? Julia, by the by.” She extends her hand out, still sitting at the table. Magnus is flabbergasted, brain unable to think of pleasantries this early in the morning. Steven clears his throat and nudges Magnus, mouthing a quick  _ My daughter?  _ at him. Magnus looks back, and through Julia’s furrowed brow, see that her eyes glimmer exactly like her father’s. They crack slightly at the edge, though she’s much too young to have crow’s feet, and her earlobes connect into her head, just like Steven’s.

 

“H-Hi there! I’m Magnus, I've heard so much about you!” Magus lies, still staring at Julia while he grabs more food for the newly three of them.

 

“Oh right, shoulda mentioned she was here when I woke ya up!” Steven laughed, his voice vibrating through the room. “She's got quick hands this one, can do nearly everything her old man can!” 

 

“Barely had to train me,” Julia interjected with a wink at Magnus. “All natural talent, right here!” She laughed a hearty laugh, the creases on her eyes getting deeper. Magnus turns bright pink at her.  _ What is this…?  _ He nods and smiles in her direction, getting to work on breakfast for the three of them.

 

Something feels more right as he’s plating the eggs, he thinks, like maybe it was always supposed to be three of them around that table. Magnus thinks of Avi sitting there as well, and his heart lurches again. He grips the edge of the plates, breathing slowly through his nose, willing the tears back into his eyes.  Sitting down and across from Julia he watches as her nose crinkles as she smiles, telling Steven about her journey there.

 

“-Yeah, there were all these bandits, and I swung a branch at them and hit them all at once!”

 

“Your mother says you slept the whole way over.” Steven retorts, shoving a piece of egg in his mouth.

 

“Oh, she  _ did _ , did she? Okay,  _ maybe  _ that was a dream, but I had you on the edge of your seat, right Magnus?” She nudges her foot against his, cracking a big smile at him once again.

 

“Huh? Yeah, no, very interesting story.” Magnus is obviously distracted, prodding his food around.

 

“Okay dude, did you just like, break up with someone? I’ve known you for all of ten minutes.” Julia remarks, ignoring the steeling glare from her dad.

 

Magnus blushes and freezes his movements, thinking about Avi. His silence is obvious, and Julia quickly changes the subject.

 

“So uh, you’ve been working with my dad for a while, huh?” She gently nudges Magnus’ foot again, breaking him from his silence.

 

“Oh! Yeah, been about two years. Steven- er, your father, has taught me so much.” Magnus says, still absentmindedly playing with his food. “I can at least build a chair now, he’s always saying I was hopeless before I met him.”

 

“Well, yeah, that’s Steven for-”

 

“Dad. Cmon Jules, I only see you so often…” Steven is only half-upset, like when Magnus doesn’t properly measure some wood. He’s not angry, but he’s not entirely proud either.

 

“Right. Dad. That’s ‘dad’ for ya!” She grimaces, and focuses to her own plate. “So uh, wanna show me around town, Magnus? Or does Ste- ...Dad… have big plans for you today?”

 

Steven raises an eyebrow, and interjects before Magnus can decline. “I think that’s a great idea, Magnus! Why not show Jules around town?”

  
“O- Of course.” Magnus can tell he’s been strong-armed, and just nods at Steven. Julia smiles broadly at him, and he feels his heart flip again.  _ It’s too soon,  _ he thinks, but still beams at Julia’s small advances, his palms sweating around his fork.

 

“Excellent! You guys will get along great!” Steven has finished his breakfast, clearing his empty plate from the table. “Magnus, you take the day off, okay?” His steely gaze is back, staring Magnus down with emphasis.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Yeah! Of course, Steven!” Magnus smiles at Julia, and watches her dark skin flush slightly redder. “I would be happy to.” For some reason, he just wants to watch Julia blush like that again, to see her dimples re-appear. “I’d… I’d love to show you around.” 

 

Steven has left after hearing Magnus’ first response, walking off to the workshop next door. Julia still sits across from Magnus, her foot still tapping at his knee.

  
“You’d love to, huh?” Julia giggles, and finishes her slab of bacon. “Gimme a few minutes and I’ll be ready to walk around with you.” She winks again, her face mixing deep pink with dark brown, and practically bounds away to her own room. Magnus is stuck, dumbfounded, and blushes into his own plate as he breaks the yolk of his egg into his bacon. Yeah, he’d definitely love to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope u guys liked this little backstory idea, writing young Jules is really fun!! But ah, next chapter is a time jump so we won't get much of her anymore....


	3. when we fall, we will fall together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What were your last words to her?"
> 
> "...I love ya, Jules."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW// canonical character death, blood mention, nightmares
> 
> It's in the tags as well, but I feel like you guys should double know

Magnus can see the smoke from twenty miles away. 

 

He can smell the fire from five miles away.

 

He can’t see their home from fifty feet away.

 

There’s only rubble. Rubble, and a row of bodies laid out on the street. Over a dozen carefully laid against the grass, but he only sees one.

 

Julia, with her dress tattered and her hair singed from the fires that keep burning around them. Magnus barely notices the people who try to hold him back, who try to keep him away. Suddenly, so suddenly, he’s holding her limp frame in his arms. Magnus knows he’s screaming, but can’t hear himself.

 

He can only see her. Julia, with her face covered in blood and the huge gash on her chest still bleeding out. He’s sobbing, shouting at anyone who tries to get close and wrapping his whole body around her as if he could hug the life back into her.

 

It's quiet uptown, the next day, only the sound of smoldering wood breaking through everyone’s blank thoughts. Steven’s sister Magnolia lives across town, and takes Magnus in. They don't see him for weeks, only knowing he’s still alive when they notice there's some food missing. Then, the nightmares start. Magnus screaming out Julia’s name in the middle of the night, punching hole after hole in the wall until it looks like it's about to fall down. Magnus can hear everyone talking about him, and leaves in the middle of the night one night.

 

Magnolia sleeps through the night without interruption, and finds a note from Magnus the next day.

 

_ I fixed the wall. Take care of yourself. _

_           -M _

  
He walks. He walks north, to the next city. He walks until his legs give out, and has to lay out underneath the night sky. He can't bear to make a fire, to smell burning wood again. He grips tighter the only thing left of her that he has, a quilt made from their old clothes, and sobs until his throat dries out. Magnus eventually falls asleep, quilt wrapped snugly around him and a miniature mechanized dog he doesn't remember owning sitting on his pack, watching over him as he sleeps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the only chapter that is Very Sad, if that helps


	4. Unstable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nightmares won't stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hooo boy okay so this is also a short and sadder one (I PROMISE Avi is coming back in the next chapter), but I also want to post a Content Warning in here as well that this chapter fairly vividly describes nightmares and sleep paralysis, and can be kind of spooky.
> 
> but next chapter we're gonna have some boys meeting boys!!! yeehaw~!~!

The nightmares don’t stop, not any time soon. Every week, a new one haunts his dreams. The screaming, the flailing, the paralyzing thoughts. He dreams of her alive the most. He wakes up early one morning in an inn in a town he doesn’t remember the name of, or remember falling asleep in. He can see her, Julia, at the door frame.

 

_ “Magnus.” _ She whispers, and his limbs lock up, and he’s unable to breathe. Magnus tries to swallow, and it gets caught in his throat. Only his eyes are able to move, and she’s stepping towards him.  _ “Magnus, help me.” _ He struggles under the covers willing his fingers to move, for any part of him to move. She walks closer, and he can see that the hem of her dress on fire. He wants to scream for help, scream at her because she’s  _ not noticing  _ and the flames are curling higher and higher and he can’t  _ breathe _ and-

 

Julia disappears, and Magnus can move again. He wants to get up, to run to the door, but he knows, he wants to know, that she wasn’t really there. Magnus takes a deep breath, rolling over as fat tears fall onto the dirty pillowcase.

 

He wanders downstairs with his things a few hours later, the bags around his eyes visibly deeper.

 

“Trouble sleeping?” The halfling innkeeper asks.

 

“Something like that…” Magnus mutters, sitting down across from them. “Trouble you for a flagon of… whatever’s strongest…?”

 

“It’s eleven in the morning, Magnus.” They furrow their brow, staring at him intently.

 

“Fine, a couple of eggs as well.” The innkeeper sighs, and walks into the back room. Magnus pulls out a small journal, and writes in it as he waits for his meal, not noticing the steely glares surrounding him. A large foot kicks at his knapsack, startling Magnus from his paper. He faces the interrupter, standing to his full height.

 

“Can I  _ help  _ you?” He growls, nearly snapping the pencil in half.

 

“Yeah, you can fucking  _ help me,  _ I haven't been able to sleep in nearly a fortnight!” The interrupter is small for a half-giant, but still matches Magnus’ height nearly inch to inch.

 

“And how is that  _ my _ problem?” Magnus barks, the pencil only splinters in his fist now.

 

“Well unless there's someone else in your room screaming for “Julia”, it's your hollering that’s keeping me up!” 

 

Magnus feels his blood run cold. He hasn't heard her name from someone else's lips in almost two months. 

 

“He's right Magnus. You've been keepin’ everyone up. Sorry to tell you like this.” The halfling is back, sans eggs and flagon. They slide a piece of paper towards his seat, small scratch on the bottom dictating how much he owes the inn.

  
“I-I don't-” Magnus pauses, and breathes. “I understand. My apologies.” His stomach curls as he drops the rest of his gold on the counter, leaving extra for the ruckus he’s clearly caused. His folds his empty coin bag a little too obviously, and tucks it into his pocket. He walks out of the establishment, and suddenly remembers that he never told the innkeeper his name.


	5. It's Almost Like The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus joins the B.o.B., and meets someone not-so familiar. But also not too... not familiar?

He looked at him with a look he knew he'd seen before. Something about the smoothness of his face, and the way he fit perfectly into his uniform. Magnus' thoughts were quickly interrupted by a sudden lurch in his stomach, doubling over.  
  
"Yeah lie down because you don’t want to faint on these stairs, that’ll be bad news bears. I promise I’m going to get you guys taken care of really quickly, I just need to run out and get you all authorized really quick, it’ll take just a few minutes. But please just hang out here, sit down, take it easy, don’t overexert yourselves, annnd you’re gonna be just fine!” Killian smiles at them and turns heel, walking out of the dome and off to get them situated.   
  
The less-stoic of the two guards stepped to the newly-formed trio after Killian leaves, and hands them a silver flask with small curling brass designs carefully pressed into the other metal.   
  
"Here, you'll want to take this." He smiles, and deep dimples appear on his cheeks. Magnus reaches out, his fingers brushing against the rough skin of this stranger. The touch is so brief, yet there's a tugging at his heart for some reason.   
  
"Ooh, I hope it's Go-Gurt!" Taako exclaims, taking the flask from Magnus.   
  
"N-no, it's brandy. It's from my hometown of Brandybuck." The guard breaks out in a nervous laugh, smiling down at the elf.   
  
"I sure am glad you're not from Phandalin!" Magnus copies his nervous laugh, the brandy still scorching his throat.   
  
"I uh, got an uncle in Phandalin, were you guys just there?"   
  
"Correction darling, you HAD an uncle in Phandalin!" Taako titters, quickly doing another pull from the flask. The guard nervously laughs again, hand scratching the back of his head.   
  
"It's probably fine, he was probably away on business." Magnus snatches the flask from Taako, taking a sip from its mouth.   
  
"I mean he wasn't my Favorite uncle or anything but-"   
  
"Good news!" Magnus splutters out, placing a large hand on the guard's shoulder. His face turns beet red as he awkwardly shuffles out of Magnus' grasp.   
  
"I know things are going to be kind of confusing for a while, I know you've got the static-ey stuff going on and you're kind of dizzy, but uh every single person you're going to meet up here went through the same thing so uh... don't worry! It's going to get a lot better really soon and we're all really excited to have you."   
  
"Do you guys know this guy?" Magnus snorts, lightly elbowing Merle in the head.   
  
"Oh, sorry! My name's Avi. After everything's over, why don't one of you guys come find me if you wanna hang out or whatever?" Avi's voice lilts at the end, avoiding eye contact specifically with Magnus.   
  
"Bro out!" Magnus booms, and shakes Avi's hand.   
  
"Y-yeah! Bro out! We can just, lift some weights or whatever you guys like to do. I like to lift some weights so..." Avi stays in the handshake for a little too long, blushing again and going to shake Taako and Merle's hands as well.   
  
"That sounds totally great, but we need a minute just to process everything that's going on though." Magnus feels at the space where Avi's hand was, a strange longing pulling at his heart.   
  
"Yeah of course I-" Killian walks back into the pod bay again, ushering the boys to their next destination.   
  
"Bye Avi!" Taako half-heartedly calls out as he follows Magnus through the silver double doors.   
  
"Nice to meet you guys, you guys seem like some... real sweet dudes." Avi responds back, mostly to himself as the doors close behind the three recruits.   
  
Avi gets back into position, his face still red. The other guard cocks an eyebrow at him as Avi shoves the flask roughly back into his pocket, muttering something about a town he used to live in, and a boy he used to know.   


\--------------------------------------------------

  
  
Magnus downs the vial, and suddenly he can see everything the world has ever hidden from him. He remembers a war, a horrible war, a war he joined when he was just sixteen. He remembers just why he started hating Governor Callen, and he remembers again the music he heard Johann play in the elevator. His mind is reeling, and he looks up and sees a majestic beast with many tentacles. He knows the word somehow- _Voidfish_ \- and he can see what look like galaxies forming and unforming in it’s flesh. He takes a step back to look at all of this creature at once and suddenly, Magnus’ heart aches. He remembers a boy from long ago, a boy with dark skin and a perfect smile. A boy who held him long before Julia did, who would hug him without even asking. He still can't remember his name, and he doesn't remember why. The visions fade, and Magnus abruptly turns to face Taako and Merle.

  
“You have to drink this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get ready for some FEEELINGSSSS next chapter!!!!!


End file.
